WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 28 June 1926, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS

LAND SETTLEMENT.

REVIVING INTEREST. (Special to “ Guardian.”) WELLINGTON. June 20. The “ Dominion,” whose ' ready acceptance of the progressive Conservatism, so admirably expounded by Lord Hugh Cecil in various publications, has not yet freed itself from its pathetic concern for broad acres and their possessors, appears this morning as an apologist for the. Government’s hesitancy in dealing with the ever-pressing settlement question. “Much of the land still in the hands of the Grown,” it says, “ is a kind,pn which inexperienced settlers would have poor prospects of success. On the other hand, the land values are still so high as to make it unsafe for the Government to go into the question of acquiring land by negotiation or by compulsion. Sir Joseph Ward has advocated compulsory acquisition and a writing-down oT values, the latter presumably in the case of Crown lands. At a time when there is an 'insecure basis of values, however, compulsory acquisition is more likely to heighten than to remedy existing troubles. It is apparent also that no good or lasting purpose would be served by writing down the values of a comparatively limited area of unsettled Crown land to a relatively lower level than that of land generally.” It is an element of patience the “ Dominion ” would cultivate and an abiding faith in the Government’s intention to do the best thing possible at some remote period.

“ PARTY OP ONE.” Sir Joseph Ward, the “party of one,” as he has dubbed himself, with no colleagues to appease and no whips to direct, when seen to-day said he had no wish to embarrass Ministers in any way in the extremely difficult task that lay before them. On the contrary, he and his party—-with a smile—would he glad to co-operate heartily with the Government in any practical means that could lie devised to free the country from the reproach of unemployment and to increase the volume, as well as the value, of its exports. The Reform. Party's secession to office had been largely due to the iteration and reiteration of its slogan. “ Srettlenienl, more settlement and still more settlement.” No phrase had done a party

greater service for many a long year. Sir Joseph did not wish to say that the achievements of the Reformers had fallen somewhat short of the spirit of their slogan. That concerned a page of history which had been turned over for the time being, lie was satisfied, however, that the younger people of New Zealand were beginning to realise, even more fully than their fathers did. that the products of the soil must remain always the mainstay of the Dominion. AVith the development of agricultural Science there would be ail impelling demand for land which in government would he able to stand, i ' .DIFFICULTIES IN THE WAY. j Referring more particularly to the comments of the “ Dominion ” upon j tlic settlement question. Sir Joseph j Ward said he fully appreciated the magnitude of the difficulties that lay in the way. His own business experience during the last few years had inv pressed upon him the importance of patience and caution. Of course there could he no seizing of property at less than its actual value and in indiscriminate “bursting up” of estates. No sane man with a sense of responsibility would espouse a policy of that kind. Rut inflated land value and inferior Crown land could not ho left to bar tbo way of settlement indefinitely. No one. after the unfortunate experience with soldier settlement, would think of applying compulsion to holdings of a reasonable size already profitably occupied. Holders of properties of that kind could l>e left to the employment of their good fortune and any delusions they might entertain concerning values. Rut there still were large properties in the country would could he cut up with advantage were they purchased at a price based upon their actual value to their present owners. As for Crown lands it surely would he , Letter to have them contributing some- | thing to the output of the country than lying idle another half century. '] It was only the very poorest of Crown lands, Sir Joseph said as he rose to keep an engagement, that should he | waiting for something to turn up. ! ROUGH FOOTBALL. ■ One of the Hon AA T . Noswortliy’s most desirable immigrants, a public , school hoy, old enough and experienced ■enough to look after himself, lias i formed a poor opinion of AVellington I football from some of the samples he , has witnessed during the last few i weeks. That he is not suffering from j parochial prejudice may he judged from , the fact that lie has high praise for . j the last ‘‘All Black ” team that visit!od England. “ A hit strenuous, and 1 ....... .. 1

j at tunes inclined to lie unnecessarily I rough,” lie says of the Dominion’s heroes. “ but always good sports, accepting bard knocks just as cheerily as they gave them.” But he lias seen, so ho says, many less admirable exponents of the game, particularly in the lower grades of the competitions. He presumes the trouble is largely due to the difficulty of securing competent referees for the junior games. But the rotigli play, ho alleges, is not confined solely to the juniors. On Saturday last., he states very deliberately, and with the credentials of an experienced player, he saw members of two senior teams in the last ten minutes of the game deliberately srtiking one another in a fashion that would have earned instant suspension and n long term of disqualification on any English football field. This sort of thing, he declared, | would have drawn emphatic words of | disapprobation from a London football crowd, hut in Wellington, so far as he had observed, it was accepted as a titbit bv the bait-ackers of both sexes.”

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